Leather-smoothing machine

ABSTRACT

The machine for smoothing leather comprises a frame which supports a table for the reception of the leather to be smoothed and an oscillating arm articulated on levers and the free end of which carries a glass smoothing cylinder which describes a reciprocating movement against the table while the said arm oscillates under the action of a motor drive, in which the guide table is mounted on the frame through the intermediary of guide means which compel the table to move parallel with itself in a direction perpendicular to its own plane, while an inflatable bladder is interposed between the table and a support fast with the frame.

United States Patent Grenier 5] Apr. 18, 1972 [s41 LEATHER-SMOOTHING MACHINE 9,292 9/1852 Poole ..69/46 [72] Inventor: Yves Grenier, Residence Le Belvedere C4, 599928 3/1898 Coombs "69/216 X volron France Primary Examiner-Alfred R. Guest [22] Filed: Aug. 5, 1970 Attorney-William Anthony Drucker [21] Appl. No.: 61,279 ABSTRACT 30 F A i P D ta The machine for smoothing leather comprises a frame which 1 pp m on y a supports a table for the reception of the leather to be Sept 5, 1969 France "6930293 smoothed and an oscillating arm articulated on levers and the free end of which carries a glass smoothing cylinder which "69/46 describes a reciprocating movement against the table while f- 1/36 the said arm oscillates under the action of a motor drive, in [58] Field Of Search "69/46 which the g i table is mounted on the frame through the i termediary of guide means which compel the table to move [56] References cued parallel with itself in a direction perpendicular to its own UNn-ED STATES PATENTS plane, while an inflatable bladder is interposed between the 52 728 2/1866 Martin 69/46 x table and a support fast with the frame. 929:772 8/1909 Marrinan ..69/46 5 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAPR 18 m2 3. 656. 326 sum 2 [IF 5 PATENTEMR 18 1912 SHEET 5 OF 5 LEATHER-SMOTHING MACHINE BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION The invention relates to leather-smoothing machines of the type comprising a frame which supports a table for the reception of the leather to be smoothed and an oscillating arm articulated on levers and the free end of which carries a glass smoothing cylinder which describes a reciprocating movement against the table while the arm oscillates under the action of a motor drive.

In known machines of this type the table carrying the leather to be smoothed is subjected to the action of springs for pressing against the glass cylinder, but these systems do not always fumish the desirable regularity of pressure.

The aim of the invention is to realize a leather-smoothing machine of the type in question which does not possess the above-mentioned drawbacks of the conventional machines.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the invention, the table is mounted on the frame through the intermediary of guide means which compel it .to move parallel with itself in a direction perpendicular to its own plane, while an inflatable bladder is interposed between the said table and a support fast with the frame. The ease and rapidity of regulation for working pressures which differ as a function of the categories of skins to be worked are obtained by virtue of the inflatable bladder.

By virtue of this particular construction, a regular pressure of the table is always obtained and consequently leather worked against the smoothing cylinder. Moreover it is very easy to release the table; for this purpose it is sufficient to drop the pressure inside the bladder and to permit the table to redescend under the effect of its own weight, possibly supplemented bythe action of return springs the force of which is less than the force supplied by the inflated bladder.

Moreover so that the glass cylinder may not suddenly attach the leather, it is appropriate that it should form an angle of several degrees with the plane surface of the table. For this purpose it is usual to incline the table slightly, either by the provision for this purpose of more or less complicated mechanisms, which are relatively burdensome and delicate to adjust, or by interposing wedges which unfortunately are inconvenient to determine and position.

These drawbacks are remedied, according to another characteristic of the invention, by the fact that the glass cylinder. is fixed in a gripper mounted on the arm so as to be orientable about a longitudinal axis parallel with the surface of the table.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS The invention will be better understood on reading of the following description and examination of the attached drawings which show, by way of non-limitative example, a form. of embodiment of a leather-smoothing machine according to the invention, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a profile view of the whole of the machine,

FIG. 2 is a corresponding front view,

F IG.; 3 is a partial section, on a larger scale, along the line III-III in FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is a partial section along the line IV-IV in FIG. 1,

FIG. 5 shows a detail of FIG. 1 on a larger scale, and

F IG. 6is a front view corresponding to FIG. 5.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The leather-smoothing machine represented as a whole in FIGS. 1 and 2 is constituted essentially by a frame 1 which supports a table 2 for the reception of the leathers to be smoothed,,also an oscillating arm 3 articulated through levers 4 and 5 on the frame 1 and the free end of which carries, through the intermediary of a head 7, a glass cylinder 8 in tended to smooth the leather placed on the table 2, while the arm3oscillates under the action of an electric motor 11 through the intermediary of a belt: transmission 12, a disk crank 13 journaled in bearings 14, and a connecting rod 15.

The frame 1 comprises two side members 1A, 18 between which the arm 3 can pass, the lever 4 being likewise double to permit the passage of this arm when it advances into the frame in the direction of the arrow f.

Against the lower face of the table 2 there are fixed two pairs of parallel longitudinal side members 22, 23 (FIG. 3) which can slide against the ends of the two side faces of a profiled longitudinal guide 25 of U-shaped section (see also FIG. 4) welded on a plate 26 fast with a profiled member 27 of I-shaped section which is itself welded to the frame 1. Under the two ends of the U-section 25 there are fixed two rods 28 the lower threaded ends of which are engaged respectively in holes 29 of two plates 31 which they support. A nut 32 screwed on the threaded end of each of the two rods 28 makes the plate 31 fast on the corresponding rod.

Between the two upper side members 22, 23 and the lower ones the table is guided against the U-section 25yby two long side members 22A, 23A, of wood in this example, which are fixed to the table 2 by screws 38A.

The positioning of the table 2 in upward direction is effected, at each of its ends, by two screws 35 which are mounted in bosses 36 welded on a plate 37 fixed to the side members 22 and 23 of the table by screws 38. The screws 35 are adapted to slide freely in holes 41 provided in the plate 31. By screwing the screws 35 more or less deeply intothe bosses 36 one limits the possible upward travel of the table by the coming of the heads of the said screws 35 into contact with the lower face of the plate 31. The screws 35 are immobilized by means of lock nuts 42.

In the space included between the lower face of the table 2 and the inner walls of the side members 22, 22A and 23, 23A, and of the guide 25 and its bottom, there is disposed a tubular bladder 44 intended to serve as elastic means for application of the table against the glass cylinder 8. This bladder is of natural or synthetic rubber or of an appropriate elastomer.

The table 2 is thrust downwards not only by its own weight, but also, at each of its ends, by the action of two return springs 48 one end of which is attached to a stud 51 fast with the corresponding side member of the table and the other end to another stud 52 fast with the plate 31. The bladder 44, which is closed at its two ends, is equipped with a valve 56 connected by a conduit 57 to a three-way valve 58 which in this example is controlled by means of a pedal 59. The valve 58 is intended to connect the bladder, according to choice, to discharge to atmosphere or with a compressed air conduit 61 through the intermediary of a first expander 62 which drops the pressure, for example, from 10 to 2 kg/sq.cm., then of a safety valve 63, and finally of a second expander 65 which permits of precise regulation of the air pressure admitted finally to the bladder 44, for example, from O to 2 kg/sq.cm.

The glass cylinder 8 is fixed in a gripper designated as a whole by 71 (see especially FIGS. 5 and 6) and comprising a jaw 72 called fixed jaw and a jaw 73 called movable jaw. The movable jaw 73 is fixed on the jaw 72 by means of two bolts 75. The fixed jaw 72 is fixed on a front plate 76 of the head 7 by a bolt 77 parallel with the table and serving at the same time as pivot spindle for the gripper on the head 7. The upper end of the body of the fixed jaw 72 is in the form of an arc of a circle coaxial with the pivot bolt 77 and is engaged in a groove 81 of corresponding form formed in a piece fast with the head 7, which is itself formed essentially of two side members 7A and 7B. The inclination of the gripper in relation to the head can be regulated precisely by means of a mechanism comprising a tapped socket 84 fixed on the front face of the upper part of the body of the fixed jaw 72 and in which there is engaged a screw 85 supported by its ends in two lugs 87 fast with the head 7. The angle of inclination which one can have to impart to the gripper is very small, and there is sufficient play between the ends of the screw 85 and the lugs 87 in which it is mounted to permit this movement.

The top of the table 2 is covered with a leather lining 91. Moreover this table is surrounded by a framing shelf 93 (FIG. 4), for example of wood, fixed to the sole-piece 26 by means of angle pieces 96, 97 and bolts 98, 101. The bolts 98 pass through vertical slots 99 of the angle pieces 97 to permit an adjustment of height of the shelf 93.

The manner of operation of the whole of the machine is as follows:

Commencement is made, if this is not already done, by adjusting the inclination of the glass smoothing cylinder, and for this purpose one slackens the screw 77 and by turning the adjusting screw 85 in one direction or the other the desired inclination is imparted to the gripper. The screw 77 is tightened again. t

By means of the two expanders 62 and 65 the bladder is inflated to the desired pressure and the position of the table in relation to the glass cylinder is regulated precisely, especially its parallel position in the direction of its length, by means of the screws 35. When the motor 11 is started up the glass cylinder 8, driven by the mechanism carrying it, moves with a reciprocating motion over the top of the table 2. To cause the table to descend it is sufficient, by means of the pedal, to drop the pressure in the bladder, and the table redescends under the action of its own weight and that of its return springs 48.

By reason of the presence of the bladder and of the particular mounting of the table, the presence is ensured of a cushion of air of regulable and quite uniform pressure.

The invention is not of course limited to the form of embodiment as described and represented, which is given by way of example; modifications can be made therein, according to the envisaged applications, without thereby departing from the scope of the invention.

lclaim:

1. In a leather-dressing machine having a frame, a planar elongated table, guide means supported by said frame for guiding said table to move parallel with itself in a direction at right angles to the plane of said table, a leather-dressing tool formed of a cylinder transverse to the longitudinal direction of said table and a tool-gripper carrying said tool, a lever system articulated on said frame and carrying said gripper for movement of said tool against said table in the longitudinal direction of said table, and motor means for actuating said lever system; the combination of an elongated fixed support fast with said frame and extending under said table throughout the length thereof, and an inflatable elongated bladder interposed between said table and said support and extending the length of said table.

2. The combination of claim 1, further comprising two longitudinal side members integral with the underside of said table and two corresponding lateral guides integral with said fixed support in sliding engagement with said two longitudinal side members, said inflatable bladder being housed within the space determined by said fixed support, the portion of the underside of the table facing said fixed support, and said longitudinal side members and lateral guides.

3. The combination of claim 1, further comprising duct means for connecting said bladder to a source of pressurized gas, pressure reducer means on said duct means to adjust the pressure of gas directed to said bladder, and pressure gage means to indicate the pressure of said gas in said bladder.

4. The combination of claim 1, further comprising a threeway valve to connect said bladder selectively to a source of pressurized gas and to the atmosphere.

5. The combination of claim 1, wherein said tool-gripper is adjustably pivotally mounted on said lever system about an axis extending in a direction longitudinal with respect to said table. 

1. In a leather-dressing machine having a frame, a planar elongated table, guide means supported by said frame for guiding said table to move parallel with itself in a direction at right angles to the plane of said table, a leather-dressing tool formed of a cylinder transverse to the longitudinal direction of said table and a tool-gripper carrying said tool, a lever system articulated on said frame and carrying said gripper for movement of said tool against said table in the longitudinal direction of said table, and motor means for actuating said lever system; the combination of an elongated fixed support fast with said frame and extending under said table throughout the length thereof, and an inflatable elongated bladder interposed between said table and said support and extending the length of said table.
 2. The combination of claim 1, further comprising two longitudinal side members integral with the underside of said table and two corresponding lateral guides integral with said fixed support in sliding engagemenT with said two longitudinal side members, said inflatable bladder being housed within the space determined by said fixed support, the portion of the underside of the table facing said fixed support, and said longitudinal side members and lateral guides.
 3. The combination of claim 1, further comprising duct means for connecting said bladder to a source of pressurized gas, pressure reducer means on said duct means to adjust the pressure of gas directed to said bladder, and pressure gage means to indicate the pressure of said gas in said bladder.
 4. The combination of claim 1, further comprising a three-way valve to connect said bladder selectively to a source of pressurized gas and to the atmosphere.
 5. The combination of claim 1, wherein said tool-gripper is adjustably pivotally mounted on said lever system about an axis extending in a direction longitudinal with respect to said table. 